1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a network equipment and a networking method suitable for the network control of home network or the like.
2. Related Art Statement
Recently, the development of techniques for building home networks by interactively connecting home devices in ordinary homes has started. For example, as a network standard which makes use of the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc) 1394 which has been spread as a digital interface matched to multi media, there exists the HAVi (Home Audio/Video interoperability) which is established by eight Japanese and European companies.
In the network such as the HAVi standard or the like, respective devices are provided with device control modules which constitute software modules for performing condition control of devices. For example, the HAVi standard adopts DCMs (Device Control Modules) as the device or appliance control modules. Among the devices which are connected on the network, a controller having a function of controlling conditions of respective devices is capable of controlling an ON/OFF of power source of respective devices by means of device control modules provided to respective devices.
Further, respective devices are provided with device function modules which have functions available to external devices. For example, the HAVi standard adopts FCMs (Functional Component Modules) as the device function modules. With the use of the FCMs, the controller is capable of making use of functions of various devices such as a timer function, a tuner function and the like.
By the way, to make the controller control other devices and utilize functions of such other devices, it is necessary for the controller to incorporate a unit which is composed of a device control module and a device function module into a memory of its own device. Accordingly, corresponding to the increase of the number of devices connected to the network, the number of units to be stored is increased and hence, there has been a problem that the memory capacity necessary for storing software to control and make use of respective devices is increased.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a network equipment and a networking method which can reduce the memory capacity necessary for storing software to control and utilize functions of respective devices even when devices which are connected to a network are increased in number.
In summary, the network equipment of the present invention includes a first memory which is capable of holding a plurality of software modules which control respective devices connected to a network, a module administration device which detects coincidence portions between or among a plurality of software modules and makes the first memory store one remaining coincidence portion after deleting other coincidence portions with respect to the coincidence portions and generates link information for making use of the remaining coincidence portion in place of deleted coincidence portions, a second memory which holds the link information generated by the module administration device, and a control device which reads out the software module stored in the first memory based on the link information and controls other devices connected to the network.
Further, the network method of the present invention includes a module administration step which detects coincidence portions between or among a plurality of software modules with respect to a plurality of software modules which respectively control respective devices connected to a network and stores one remaining coincidence portion after deleting other coincidence portions with respect to the coincidence portions, a step which holds link information for making use of the remaining coincidence portion in place of deleted coincidence portions, a step which reads but the software module stored based on the link information and controls other devices connected to the network.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed explanation.